Let me know if I missed anything big here, particularly as it relates to coverage moves. For example, on the Choice Scarf set I prioritized disruption options over full offense.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Sacred Sword
move 2: Psycho Cut
move 3: Shadow Sneak / Feint / Leaf Blade
move 4: Night Slash / Knock Off / Leaf Blade
item: Focus Sash / Assault Vest
ability: Sharpness
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Ghost / Grass / Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
* With its wide range of moveset options and its offense-boosting ability Sharpness, Gallade is excellent at dueling a wide variety of threats.
* **Shadow Sneak versus Feint**: Shadow Sneak is far more consistent as a priority move and deals good damage to targets like Flutter Mane and Gholdengo. Feint is used mostly for winning Focus Sash duels against Chien-Pao's Ice Shard and Sucker Punch.
* **Night Slash versus Knock Off**: Night Slash's consistent power is best for pure offense, potentially 2HKOing targets like Bold Gholdengo, assuming they can’t stall with Recover and Rocky Helmet. If more utility is desired, Knock Off can be used for removing opposing items.
* **Leaf Blade**: Fully invested Sharpness Leaf Blade has a 75% chance of OHKOing 252 HP Azumarill and is Gallade's best hope of muscling past Dondozo.
Other Options
========
* **Aqua Cutter**: Aqua Cutter benefits from Sharpness, but it doesn't add a lot of extra coverage and should only be used for hitting very specific targets like Volcarona.
Tera Types
========
* **Tera Dependency - Low**: Gallade uses Focus Sash or Assault Vest as its main tool for cushioning a big hit and has great natural coverage. Therefore, Tera is reserved mostly for emergency situations.
* **Ghost**: Tera Ghost's immunity to Normal- and Fighting-type moves can thwart revenge kill attempts from Mach Punch users and Extreme Speed Dragonite, giving Gallade an opportunity to break Multiscale on the latter.
* **Grass**: Tera Grass improves the lead matchup versus Breloom; if Gallade successfully baits a Spore, most sets can beat Breloom without losing Focus Sash. Leaf Blade also becomes an easy 2HKO on Dondozo.
* **Steel**: Tera Steel flips Gallade's weakness to Fairy-type attacks to a resistance. The Ice resistance can also be used in a pinch to keep Baxcalibur's Icicle Spear from OHKOing Gallade through Focus Sash.
Items
========
* **Focus Sash**: With Focus Sash, Gallade duels opposing Focus Sash users with its hard-hitting STAB attacks and priority moves.
* **Assault Vest**: Gallade has enough Special Defense to make good use of Assault Vest if Focus Sash is already taken, comfortably surviving unboosted hits from targets like Chi-Yu. Furthermore, Assault Vest isn't rendered useless by Stealth Rock chip, making Gallade a safer mid- or late-game option.
* **Scope Lens**: While Scope Lens is risky due to Gallade's average bulk and Speed, it pairs well with the increased critical hit ratio many of Gallade's attacks have.
EV Spreads
========
* **252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with Adamant**: A maximum offense spread is standard for Focus Sash and Speed ties with offensive Adamant Dragonite.
* **196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe with Adamant**: For sets that run Assault Vest over Focus Sash, this slower spread avoids the OHKO from Focus Sash Chien-Pao's Icicle Crash after Stealth Rock damage. The Speed investment gets the jump on 4 Speed Rotom-formes letting Gallade deal as much damage as possible before getting hit with a burn.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Sacred Sword
move 2: Psycho Cut
move 3: Trick / Knock Off
move 4: Knock Off / Night Slash / Leaf Blade
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sharpness
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Ghost / Grass
[SET COMMENTS]
* With both Trick and Knock Off, Gallade is a decent anti-lead against several early game setups.
* **Trick**: Trick with Choice Scarf lets Gallade permanently cripple setup Pokemon like Annihilape and Garganacl.
* **Knock Off versus Night Slash**: Knock Off remains a strong disruption move with or without Trick, provided you exercise caution if you’ve already used Trick. Night Slash has more offensive presence than Knock Off and is a good choice if you really need to hit Gholdengo with consistent damage.
* **Leaf Blade**: Leaf Blade is a great coverage option and, if Trick isn't available, your best move against Dondozo.
Tera Types
========
* **Tera Dependency - Low**: Choice Scarf Gallade normally isn't a strong user of Tera. It is best used in situations where Gallade already has momentum and needs to preserve it.
* **Ghost**: Tera Ghost grants immunity to Mach Punch and Extreme Speed, letting Gallade keep its speed advantage against several targets.
* **Grass**: Tera Grass can surprise Spore users like Breloom, letting Gallade score an easy knockout or cripple them with Trick. Leaf Blade also becomes a 2HKO against Dondozo.
* **Fighting**: Tera Fighting is a no-nonsense option for making Sacred Sword hit harder.
* **Psychic**: Tera Psychic boosts Psycho Cut while removing Gallade’s Fairy weakness.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/photon.516307/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/derpysux.528485/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lumari.232216/
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Sacred Sword
move 2: Psycho Cut
move 3: Shadow Sneak / Feint / Leaf Blade
move 4: Night Slash / Knock Off / Leaf Blade
item: Focus Sash / Assault Vest
ability: Sharpness
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Ghost / Grass / Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
* With its wide range of moveset options and its offense-boosting ability Sharpness, Gallade is excellent at dueling a wide variety of threats.
* **Shadow Sneak versus Feint**: Shadow Sneak is far more consistent as a priority move and deals good damage to targets like Flutter Mane and Gholdengo. Feint is used mostly for winning Focus Sash duels against Chien-Pao's Ice Shard and Sucker Punch.
* **Night Slash versus Knock Off**: Night Slash's consistent power is best for pure offense, potentially 2HKOing targets like Bold Gholdengo, assuming they can’t stall with Recover and Rocky Helmet. If more utility is desired, Knock Off can be used for removing opposing items.
* **Leaf Blade**: Fully invested Sharpness Leaf Blade has a 75% chance of OHKOing 252 HP Azumarill and is Gallade's best hope of muscling past Dondozo.
Other Options
========
* **Aqua Cutter**: Aqua Cutter benefits from Sharpness, but it doesn't add a lot of extra coverage and should only be used for hitting very specific targets like Volcarona.
Tera Types
========
* **Tera Dependency - Low**: Gallade uses Focus Sash or Assault Vest as its main tool for cushioning a big hit and has great natural coverage. Therefore, Tera is reserved mostly for emergency situations.
* **Ghost**: Tera Ghost's immunity to Normal- and Fighting-type moves can thwart revenge kill attempts from Mach Punch users and Extreme Speed Dragonite, giving Gallade an opportunity to break Multiscale on the latter.
* **Grass**: Tera Grass improves the lead matchup versus Breloom; if Gallade successfully baits a Spore, most sets can beat Breloom without losing Focus Sash. Leaf Blade also becomes an easy 2HKO on Dondozo.
* **Steel**: Tera Steel flips Gallade's weakness to Fairy-type attacks to a resistance. The Ice resistance can also be used in a pinch to keep Baxcalibur's Icicle Spear from OHKOing Gallade through Focus Sash.
Items
========
* **Focus Sash**: With Focus Sash, Gallade duels opposing Focus Sash users with its hard-hitting STAB attacks and priority moves.
* **Assault Vest**: Gallade has enough Special Defense to make good use of Assault Vest if Focus Sash is already taken, comfortably surviving unboosted hits from targets like Chi-Yu. Furthermore, Assault Vest isn't rendered useless by Stealth Rock chip, making Gallade a safer mid- or late-game option.
* **Scope Lens**: While Scope Lens is risky due to Gallade's average bulk and Speed, it pairs well with the increased critical hit ratio many of Gallade's attacks have.
EV Spreads
========
* **252 HP / 4 SpD / 252 Spe with Adamant**: A maximum offense spread is standard for Focus Sash and Speed ties with offensive Adamant Dragonite.
* **196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe with Adamant**: For sets that run Assault Vest over Focus Sash, this slower spread avoids the OHKO from Focus Sash Chien-Pao's Icicle Crash after Stealth Rock damage. The Speed investment gets the jump on 4 Speed Rotom-formes letting Gallade deal as much damage as possible before getting hit with a burn.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Sacred Sword
move 2: Psycho Cut
move 3: Trick / Knock Off
move 4: Knock Off / Night Slash / Leaf Blade
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Sharpness
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Ghost / Grass
[SET COMMENTS]
* With both Trick and Knock Off, Gallade is a decent anti-lead against several early game setups.
* **Trick**: Trick with Choice Scarf lets Gallade permanently cripple setup Pokemon like Annihilape and Garganacl.
* **Knock Off versus Night Slash**: Knock Off remains a strong disruption move with or without Trick, provided you exercise caution if you’ve already used Trick. Night Slash has more offensive presence than Knock Off and is a good choice if you really need to hit Gholdengo with consistent damage.
* **Leaf Blade**: Leaf Blade is a great coverage option and, if Trick isn't available, your best move against Dondozo.
Tera Types
========
* **Tera Dependency - Low**: Choice Scarf Gallade normally isn't a strong user of Tera. It is best used in situations where Gallade already has momentum and needs to preserve it.
* **Ghost**: Tera Ghost grants immunity to Mach Punch and Extreme Speed, letting Gallade keep its speed advantage against several targets.
* **Grass**: Tera Grass can surprise Spore users like Breloom, letting Gallade score an easy knockout or cripple them with Trick. Leaf Blade also becomes a 2HKO against Dondozo.
* **Fighting**: Tera Fighting is a no-nonsense option for making Sacred Sword hit harder.
* **Psychic**: Tera Psychic boosts Psycho Cut while removing Gallade’s Fairy weakness.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/photon.516307/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/derpysux.528485/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lumari.232216/
Last edited:
